CONCERNS have been raised over Malacca’s status as a heritage destination, with its latest tourism offering, a Hard Rock Café, set to open in 2012.
The F&B outlet will be located on Jalan Hang Jebat, directly facing the national heritage-gazetted Stadhuys and Christchurch buildings, built in 1650 and 1753, respectively.
Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, president of Heritage of Malaysia Trust, said: “A new single-storey building in a UNESCO World Heritage Site would not normally raise any red flags, but how well can Malacca’s cultural history mix with a cafe representing American rock ‘n’ roll?”
“The sustainability of Malacca’s future is based on its ability to continue to draw visitors because of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as its heritage values and cultural authenticity,” he said.
“We have reservations that even if the presence of the Hard Rock Cafe Melaka draws in large numbers, both in terms of visitors and revenue generation, the authenticity of this unique historical city will be surely compromised.”
The balacing act between heritage preservation and tourism development in Malacca has recently come under scrutiny.
The local travel trade is opposed to a “heritage conservation tax” that will be levied on all hotel guests from September (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 3).
A planned 15.9 million ringgit (US$5.2 million) monorail service has also been criticised as being unnecessary for such a small area, and a 10 million ringgit rollercoaster ride with one kilometre of track will soon be launched as a tourist attraction.
